New to Northwest Austin, Galaxy Cafe Expands Selection

During a recent tasting at the newest Galaxy Cafe on Mesa Drive in Northwest Austin, the food and service exceeded all expectations — not that Galaxy Cafe wasn’t great to begin with. I’ve visited many times, so I know they’ve been serving delicious, health conscious and environmentally friendly food to Austinites for years.

For those of you who haven’t been in a while, I highly recommend a return visit for any meal of the day. Their bread and produce is delivered daily, most of the ingredients used are organic or all natural and they have some of the best gluten free options in the city.

Galaxy Cafe is a great place to get a fairly quick, guilt free, homestyle meal with quality ingredients and options that cater to any diet. The Northwest Hills location is the largest yet. But it’s not only unique in its size and interstellar décor, but in the craft beer, coffee and wine selection it offers. Take a look at what you can expect when you visit.

Beer and Wine Selection

Co-owner Kelly Chappell personally sees to it that Galaxy Cafe’s beer and wine selection is special. In addition to bottled beer, the new location has beer on tap. The current selection of draft beers includes all local varieties: South Austin Brewery’s Kol and TPA, 512 Pecan Porter, Austin Amber, Pearl Snap and Live Oak Hefeweizen. Expect the beer selection to rotate seasonally.

The wine selection at this location currently includes RevoLution Malbec, Tortoise Creek Pinot Noir, a Cabernet Sauvignon, Prosecco, Riesling, Pinot Grigio and Chardonnay. Last but not least, they have a unique rosé called Dead Flowers. It’s actually a Texas rosé, and not at all sweet. In fact, the bottle describes it as “bone dry.” If you enjoy a dry rosé, I definitely recommended this selection.

One of the best things about indulging in wine at Galaxy Café is the price. Bottles are only $12 or $18 during happy hour. Chappell says he plans to continue building the wine list up to appoximately 16 different wines at varying price points.

Other adult drinks available include the frozen Zocorita, made with agave wine. They also serve mimosas during brunch that go beyond run of the mill. They’re created with Galaxy Cafe’s Prosecco selection.

Entrees and Sides

Fish Wrap and Creamy Mac & Cheese

The butter cilantro pasta is a heavenly choice when you don’t mind the extra calories. The pasta is linguine, coated with buttery goodness without being overwhelmingly rich or heavy. Each bite leaves you with a slight tang of lemon and a touch of herbs that make you never want to put your fork down. The chicken on the pasta was perfectly cooked, tender and delicious. Other options for this dish include adding steamed veggies or shrimp.

Their salads are fresh and delicious and won’t leave you hankering for that hamburger you were contemplating ordering when you came in. You can’t go wrong with the Asian seared tuna salad. The tuna is wild-caught, crusted with sesame seeds and seared to perfection. The hot shrimp salad with baby spinach (their equivalent to a wilted spinach salad) is also a great option and one of my personal favorites.

Brie burger with caramelized onions

The brie burger with caramelized onions is unforgettable. And the last entree option to draw your attention to is the Galaxy Fish Wrap, a classic and one of their most popular dishes. It’s stuffed with fried tilapia, cabbage, cheese and tomatoes and served with a side of creamy, spicy jalapeno sauce. I’d compare it to a gigantic fish taco, and it’s what you want to have for lunch.

Breakfasts and Brunch

Galaxy Cafe opens at 7 AM. On weekends, brunch lasts until 4 PM. Choose from hormone free, antibiotic free, free range eggs and all the usual sides, oatmeal, yogurt, French toast and a kid’s breakfast menu. The vanilla bean buttermilk pancakes are delicious, with a warm vanilla scent that could draw you in from across a room. They’re also served with real maple syrup.

Last but not least, Galaxy Cafe has a full espresso bar, so you can order your coffee any way you like it.

Desserts and Gluten Free Options

Traditional crème brulée

This is a place where you don’t want to pass on the dessert. In fact, you could justify visiting just for dessert and an espresso. If you’re a firm believer in the benefits of chocolate, you won’t want to miss out on the flourless chocolate torte.

Gluten free desserts tend to be the best when they’re intended to be gluten free in the first place. Galaxy Cafe seems to follow this principle. I was blown away by the crème brulée. It’s created traditionally, with a classic vanilla bean custard and crunchy, caramelized sugar top. And it’s one of the best I’ve ever had.

Disclosure: Though I’ve been to Galaxy Cafe many times on my own, the food and drink featured in this article were provided as part of a complimentary press tasting. All opinions are my own.

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